Alabama Basketball: Crimson Tide won the hard way over Missouri

Alabama basketball, now winners of eight in its last 11 games, won the hard way over Missouri Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama basketball fans who missed Saturday’s game, and later saw the final score of 88-74, may think the Tide got a comfortable win. They will be wrong. There was nothing comfortable about it until the last two minutes. It was, in fact, a hard-fought win that defied basketball odds.

Missouri took an early lead and held it for almost four minutes. Midway through the first half, the Crimson Tide starting raining threes. In a five-minute stretch, Alex Reese and Beetle Bolden hit treys, followed by John Petty Jr. adding three more long-range bombs. At 8:47 in the first half, the Alabama basketball lead was 10 points.

At the first half 7:45 media timeout, Missouri had shot 15 percent. Despite the cold shooting, the Tigers trailed by only eight. The reason was 12 made free throws in 12 attempts. Thirty seconds later a traditional, three-point play by the Tigers, quickly followed by two layups and the Tide lead was three. A couple of minutes later, Tide freshman, Jaden Shackelford went on a tear. He scored eight points in 59 seconds, pushing the Tide lead to 11 points.

At the half, Alabama basketball led by seven. First half stats were 33 percent shooting for Missouri and 48.5 percent for the Crimson Tide. Nate Oats’ team made 11-of-25 first-half threes for 44 percent. Missouri was a perfect 21-for-21 at the foul line. Five Tide players had two fouls.

Beetle Bolden missed the end of the first half after a collision resulting in a foul. He was not on the bench when the second half began. At 15:56 Kira Lewis Jr. picked up his third foul. Bolden returned to the game and got his fourth foul at 12:50. At 9:49, Kira Lewis made a frustration-driven fourth foul. At 9:07, Beetle Bolden fouled out.

At 7:34, Herbert Jones made an impressive and clean-appearing block. He was called for his fourth foul. The two subsequent made free throws by Missouri cut the Tide lead to three points. At this point in the game, Missouri was 31-for-31 (a new SEC record) at the foul line.

Missouri made only six more points in the game and none from the foul line. The Alabama Crimson Tide closed the game with 17 points to win 88-74. John Petty had nine of the 17, Kira Lewis and Herbert Jones had four points each. The Crimson Tide made its last 10 foul shots in the game.

It is not easy to beat a team that shoots 31 free throws and never misses. Especially when shooting threes at 14.3 percent, which Alabama did in the second half. How did the Crimson Tide pull off the, not-easy win? Defense is a main reason. Nate Oats’ team contests everything. Missouri had to fight for every point and Cuonzo Martin’s teams know something about fighting. The other reason was the Tide’s 83 percent free throw shooting. Even being perfect, the Tigers were only plus-6 at the foul line.

John Petty led the Tide with 20 points and six rebounds. Reese and Shackelford had 17 points each. Herbert Jones had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Kira Lewis added 10 points and seven assists.

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